Dr. Ivar Vermeulen

Biography

Ivar Vermeulen is an Associate Professor in Communication Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, specializing in persuasion research. He obtained his PhD in 2003 from the University of Amsterdam. His current research focuses on the experimental study of trust, biases, and affective cues, particularly in the context of persuasion processes. His projects explore applications of computer-assisted methods, such as automated content analysis and network analysis of online data. He also serves as the research manager and co-director of the Digital Media & Behaviour Lab at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Vermeulen's research interests include understanding online trust and disinformation, replication of classic communication studies, and the effects of music on consumer behavior. He aims to utilize music more effectively in persuasive contexts and is involved in the online assessment of cognitive functioning through neuropsychological testing. He actively works on preventing verbal online aggression and hatespeech through interdisciplinary projects focused on automated detection. Additionally, he is committed to making social science research methods more rigorous and sound, including the ethical recruitment of research participants.

Research Interests

Courses